HOUSTON — Matt Schaub threw to where his receiver wasn't, and the result was a Tennessee touchdown. Announcers — from TV to radio — said it must have been the kid's fault.

Schaub is the veteran, after all. The receiver is a rookie.

What really happened said a lot about the Texans' first-round selection, DeAndre Hopkins, as well as about a franchise trying to win a title with a pedestrian quarterback.

If Schaub doesn't have championship talent himself, then the Texans' only option is to surround him with it.

Schaub is not without plusses, and what he did for a second consecutive week tells of that. Not every quarterback rallies to overcome fourth-quarter deficits to start a season 2-0.

As for some of the accurate throws Schaub made Sunday to Hopkins and others: They would work in a Super Bowl, too.

Still, Schaub is the beneficiary of a franchise that is better than he is. The Texans keep adding impact players, and two of them were on display in the home opener.

Brian Cushing, returning from last season's injury, slashed through the Titans for 11 unassisted tackles. He gives the Texans, along with J.J. Watt, two candidates for defensive player of the year.

And Shane Lechler, returning to Texas late in his career, provides Houston with Hall of Fame punting. Watt said he's never stood up on the sideline before to watch punting until now.

“It's poetry,” he said.

The rub is that the Texans shouldn't have had to punt seven times as they did Sunday. This gets back to Schaub and what surrounds him.

Tony Romo, for example, lost in Kansas City on Sunday and will be blamed accordingly. But he was again operating a one-dimensional offense with a running game that produced only 37 yards.

Schaub, instead, operated one that produced 172.

When Schaub runs a play-fake, he has an advantage Romo rarely does. And when Schaub does feel pressure, as he did in the fourth quarter, he rushes. Then, needing to throw to a spot, he went to the flat where he thought Hopkins would be.

Afterward, Gary Kubiak said Schaub had misread the adjustment, and Schaub took the blame, too. When asked later what had happened, Hopkins said, simply, “It was a miscommunication.”

Told what Kubiak and Schaub had said, Hopkins smiled and repeated himself.

This is the profile of a remarkably poised rookie from Clemson nicknamed “Nuk” (pronounced nuke). He's proven from the first week of training camp he belongs.

Hopkins should have gone higher than 27th in the draft. He set an ACC record for touchdowns last season and he has a 36-inch vertical jump.

He also has large hands (not Kawhi Leonard-large, but large), and a YouTube video showcases that. Then, standing maybe 20 feet from a Jugs machine, Hopkins caught footballs.

With one hand. And with either hand.

So why did teams pass on him? “Because I didn't run a 4.2 or a 4.3,” he said Sunday, and this has been a flaw in NFL scouting. A tenth of a second can mean more to some than the game itself.

The Texans had valued Hopkins long before the draft, and they weren't just looking for a No. 2 receiver to complement Andre Johnson. They were looking for another No. 1.

Hopkins took that further Sunday when asked if he sees himself as a younger Johnson. “I feel like I can be better than Andre,” he said.

Understand: Johnson tells Hopkins to think that way.

Hopkins showed that kind of promise Sunday; the only rookie receiver to have more yards in a game in Texans history is Johnson. And when the Titans knocked Johnson out of the game, Hopkins imitated him well.

In overtime Schaub threw a fade, and Hopkins leaped, battled for the football and came down with both feet inbounds.

Asked afterward what he had seen in Hopkins before the draft, Kubiak said, “Exactly what you saw today.”

That's also how the Texans can win a title with Schaub.

Put talent around him — exactly what you saw today.

bharvey@express-news.net

Twitter: @Buck_SA

HOUSTON — Matt Schaub threw to where his receiver wasn't, and the result was a Tennessee touchdown. Announcers — from TV to radio — said it must have been the kid's fault.

Schaub is the veteran, after all. The receiver is a rookie.

What really happened said a lot about the Texans' first-round selection, DeAndre Hopkins, as well as about a franchise trying to win a title with a pedestrian quarterback.

If Schaub doesn't have championship talent himself, then the Texans' only option is to surround him with it.

Schaub is not without plusses, and what he did for a second consecutive week tells of that. Not every quarterback rallies to overcome fourth-quarter deficits to start a season 2-0.

As for some of the accurate throws Schaub made Sunday to Hopkins and others: They would work in a Super Bowl, too.

Still, Schaub is the beneficiary of a franchise that is better than he is. The Texans keep adding impact players, and two of them were on display in the home opener.

Brian Cushing, returning from last season's injury, slashed through the Titans for 11 unassisted tackles. He gives the Texans, along with J.J. Watt, two candidates for defensive player of the year.

And Shane Lechler, returning to Texas late in his career, provides Houston with Hall of Fame punting. Watt said he's never stood up on the sideline before to watch punting until now.

“It's poetry,” he said.

The rub is that the Texans shouldn't have had to punt seven times as they did Sunday. This gets back to Schaub and what surrounds him.

Tony Romo, for example, lost in Kansas City on Sunday and will be blamed accordingly. But he was again operating a one-dimensional offense with a running game that produced only 37 yards.

Schaub, instead, operated one that produced 172.

When Schaub runs a play-fake, he has an advantage Romo rarely does. And when Schaub does feel pressure, as he did in the fourth quarter, he rushes. Then, needing to throw to a spot, he went to the flat where he thought Hopkins would be.

Afterward, Gary Kubiak said Schaub had misread the adjustment, and Schaub took the blame, too. When asked later what had happened, Hopkins said, simply, “It was a miscommunication.”

Told what Kubiak and Schaub had said, Hopkins smiled and repeated himself.

This is the profile of a remarkably poised rookie from Clemson nicknamed “Nuk” (pronounced nuke). He's proven from the first week of training camp he belongs.

Hopkins should have gone higher than 27th in the draft. He set an ACC record for touchdowns last season and he has a 36-inch vertical jump.

He also has large hands (not Kawhi Leonard-large, but large), and a YouTube video showcases that. Then, standing maybe 20 feet from a Jugs machine, Hopkins caught footballs.

With one hand. And with either hand.

So why did teams pass on him? “Because I didn't run a 4.2 or a 4.3,” he said Sunday, and this has been a flaw in NFL scouting. A tenth of a second can mean more to some than the game itself.

The Texans had valued Hopkins long before the draft, and they weren't just looking for a No. 2 receiver to complement Andre Johnson. They were looking for another No. 1.

Hopkins took that further Sunday when asked if he sees himself as a younger Johnson. “I feel like I can be better than Andre,” he said.

Understand: Johnson tells Hopkins to think that way.

Hopkins showed that kind of promise Sunday; the only rookie receiver to have more yards in a game in Texans history is Johnson. And when the Titans knocked Johnson out of the game, Hopkins imitated him well.

In overtime Schaub threw a fade, and Hopkins leaped, battled for the football and came down with both feet inbounds.

Asked afterward what he had seen in Hopkins before the draft, Kubiak said, “Exactly what you saw today.”

That's also how the Texans can win a title with Schaub.

Put talent around him — exactly what you saw today.

bharvey@express-news.net

Twitter: @Buck_SA

HOUSTON — Matt Schaub threw to where his receiver wasn't, and the result was a Tennessee touchdown. Announcers — from TV to radio — said it must have been the kid's fault.

Schaub is the veteran, after all. The receiver is a rookie.

What really happened said a lot about the Texans' first-round selection, DeAndre Hopkins, as well as about a franchise trying to win a title with a pedestrian quarterback.

If Schaub doesn't have championship talent himself, then the Texans' only option is to surround him with it.

Schaub is not without plusses, and what he did for a second consecutive week tells of that. Not every quarterback rallies to overcome fourth-quarter deficits to start a season 2-0.

As for some of the accurate throws Schaub made Sunday to Hopkins and others: They would work in a Super Bowl, too.

Still, Schaub is the beneficiary of a franchise that is better than he is. The Texans keep adding impact players, and two of them were on display in the home opener.

Brian Cushing, returning from last season's injury, slashed through the Titans for 11 unassisted tackles. He gives the Texans, along with J.J. Watt, two candidates for defensive player of the year.

And Shane Lechler, returning to Texas late in his career, provides Houston with Hall of Fame punting. Watt said he's never stood up on the sideline before to watch punting until now.

“It's poetry,” he said.

The rub is that the Texans shouldn't have had to punt seven times as they did Sunday. This gets back to Schaub and what surrounds him.

Tony Romo, for example, lost in Kansas City on Sunday and will be blamed accordingly. But he was again operating a one-dimensional offense with a running game that produced only 37 yards.

Schaub, instead, operated one that produced 172.

When Schaub runs a play-fake, he has an advantage Romo rarely does. And when Schaub does feel pressure, as he did in the fourth quarter, he rushes. Then, needing to throw to a spot, he went to the flat where he thought Hopkins would be.

Afterward, Gary Kubiak said Schaub had misread the adjustment, and Schaub took the blame, too. When asked later what had happened, Hopkins said, simply, “It was a miscommunication.”

Told what Kubiak and Schaub had said, Hopkins smiled and repeated himself.

This is the profile of a remarkably poised rookie from Clemson nicknamed “Nuk” (pronounced nuke). He's proven from the first week of training camp he belongs.

Hopkins should have gone higher than 27th in the draft. He set an ACC record for touchdowns last season and he has a 36-inch vertical jump.

He also has large hands (not Kawhi Leonard-large, but large), and a YouTube video showcases that. Then, standing maybe 20 feet from a Jugs machine, Hopkins caught footballs.

With one hand. And with either hand.

So why did teams pass on him? “Because I didn't run a 4.2 or a 4.3,” he said Sunday, and this has been a flaw in NFL scouting. A tenth of a second can mean more to some than the game itself.

The Texans had valued Hopkins long before the draft, and they weren't just looking for a No. 2 receiver to complement Andre Johnson. They were looking for another No. 1.

Hopkins took that further Sunday when asked if he sees himself as a younger Johnson. “I feel like I can be better than Andre,” he said.

Understand: Johnson tells Hopkins to think that way.

Hopkins showed that kind of promise Sunday; the only rookie receiver to have more yards in a game in Texans history is Johnson. And when the Titans knocked Johnson out of the game, Hopkins imitated him well.

In overtime Schaub threw a fade, and Hopkins leaped, battled for the football and came down with both feet inbounds.

Asked afterward what he had seen in Hopkins before the draft, Kubiak said, “Exactly what you saw today.”